<p>Sales pressure is a mighty saboteur. And it comes
in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Beginning any
conversation with the anticipation of a sale puts the
whole conversation under pressure. This doesn’t normally
create good outcomes. It usually triggers pressure,
resistance, and tension. </p>

<p>People have
received so many calls with such a strong focus on sales
that they respond in a defensive manner to any sales
calls at all. If you can release your expectations while
making a cold call, you’ll diffuse the underlying
tension that comes with sales pressure. And you’ll be
surprised how often others will welcome talking with
you. </p>

<p>Most of us truly believe that our
product or service can help others, so we assume that
anyone who fits the profile of a potential client should
buy what we have to offer. Isn’t that one of the first
things we learn in our sales training?</p>

<p>But
this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to cold
calling. When we make a call assuming someone will be
interested, we’ve automatically moved into expectations.
No matter how well camouflaged they are, sales
expectations block the flow of natural conversation and
put pressure on the other person. </p>

<p>So move
away from making any assumptions when making cold calls.
After all, how much sense is it to have assumptions
about someone you’ve never spoken with? How much can you
possibly know about their problems, issues, needs,
budget, or other key information?</p>

<p>If you
approach your calls from a place of genuine interest
rather than expectations, you’ll diffuse any sense of
sales pressure. The other individual will relax and the
interaction will flow naturally. </p>

<p>However,
if you’re already convinced in your own mind that they
should be a fit, certain pressure has already started
before the conversation has really even begun. The last
thing you want is to introduce this into the
conversation. So rather than moving into a sales
presentation immediately, maintain the natural flow of
interaction instead. </p>

<p>You can diffuse
underlying sales pressure within any conversation by
focusing first on whether you are a good fit. Invite the
other person to focus on this with you. And determine
together whether a good business relationship might
genuinely be possible.</p>

<p>When our honest
objective is not to make a sale but rather discover the
truth of the situation, we have released expectations.
The key is to offer options, so the person we’re talking
with doesn’t feel pressure from us. This would only
trigger the defensive reactions we’re trying to avoid.
</p>

<p>Overcome the temptation to immediately
discuss what you have to offer. Instead, help the other
person overcome the fear of who you are and what is
expected. Potential clients are much more likely to
respond to you when they are not subjected to an
immediate mini-presentation. This approach usually just
creates suspicion and rejection. </p>

<p>So allow
the conversation to have a natural sense of rhythm.
Define mutual interest before launching into a
description of your solution to a problem you probably
know very little about at this point. </p>

<p>If
you’re still caught up in the traditional mindset of
making the sale, your voice and demeanor will be full of
expectation. Although you may even be using the "asking
questions strategy," you are really thinking about
moving the conversation into the sales process. Others
will subtly (or overtly) react to this expectation with
resistance. </p>

<p>It’s perfectly fine to
describe your product or service. However, you must
introduce this at an appropriate time. </p>

<p>Rather than a
presentation, you might begin with the question, "Hi,
maybe you can help me out a second?"</p>

<p>The
person will almost always respond by saying "Sure. How
can I help you?" You’ve now diffused any immediate sales
pressure. You’re being genuine and not using the canned
phrases that every other salesperson is using. You’ve
gotten rid of the usual initial pressure and tension
that comes along with sales expectations. </p>

<p>When your expectations are released, others won’t
feel you’re trying to lead them down the path to a sale.
They are usually willing to examine along with you
whether a business relationship might be good. </p>

<p>So there you have it. Release your expectations
to avoid conveying a sense of sales pressure. Potential
clients become more interested and involved as a result,
and also much more truthful about where they stand.</p>

How to End Your
Fear of Cold Calling - 3 Steps to changing your mindset
about cold calling!

Most of us really dislike cold calling. By
adopting this new mindset, you’ll be able to enjoy
calling again. And, for the first time, you’ll see other
benefits to cold calling besides actually closing a
sale.

<p>Most of us really dislike cold calling. It’s probably
the most dreaded of all sales activity, and causes the
most rejection. </p>

<p>But there are wonderful
ways to think differently about cold calling. We can
eliminate the negative experience that’s typical for
both caller and receiver simply by changing our mindset.
When we begin to think differently, we find that cold
calling is no longer the fear-laden experience we’ve
come to expect. </p>

<p>By adopting this new
mindset, you’ll be able to enjoy calling again. And, for
the first time, you’ll see other benefits to cold
calling besides actually closing a sale. </p>

<p>Here are three key focuses that shift us into this
new way of approaching cold calling:</p>

1.
<p>Focus on relationship rather than salesmanship</p>

<p>Begin your cold calls with the idea of having a
conversation around the other person rather than around
your product or service. Let your whole focus be about
whether you can assist the person you’re calling. </p>

<p>This allows a conversation to unfold naturally
and easily around their needs. And it also helps you be
more relaxed around the possibility that your solution
really may not be a fit for them at this time. </p>

<p>Who doesn’t like the idea of meeting new people?
And who doesn’t like providing help if we can? When your
mindset is in this place, then gracious and easy
conversations happen. You aren’t all tense about whether
a cold call will result in a sale. You’re operating out
of authenticity. You’re being a real person, talking to
real people. </p>

<p>Can I be of help to you? You
probably wouldn’t say these specific words, but it’s a
mindset that’s easy to hold. And it’s also more easily
received by potential clients. They won’t feel "chased"
by your sales agenda. They’ll be more open to explore
things with you. And you’ll feel the enjoyment of
meeting new people and discovering whether you can help
them. </p>

<p>When you focus on building this
kind of connection with people, you’ll find yourself
improving your life in many ways. One is the obvious.
You’ll have better cold calling conversations. You’ll
find your sales going up. And you’ll also find yourself
bringing much more professionalism into the actual
experience of selling.</p>

2. <p>Focus on
dialogue, not monologue</p>

<p>This new cold
calling mindset is about having a true conversation, not
a one-way script. It means genuinely anticipating
cordial conversations with a new acquaintances. </p>

<p>This has to come from you naturally. It has to be
a natural conversation. You have to believe yourself
that you’re calling to see if you can help someone with
your product or service. </p>

<p>Once you begin
to enjoy the idea of conversing with people and building
trust with them, your whole being shifts into this new
frame of reference. And you begin to be in a place where
the sale itself will not affect your behavior. </p>

<p>When this happens, your fear of rejection goes
way down and your enjoyment of the human connection goes
way up. </p>

<p>This is where you become free of
the old rules around cold calling because you’re not
worried about the selling anymore. You’re only concerned
with helping the client, regardless whether you make a
sale or not. And that’s freedom. It’s freedom to be
professional and authentic. </p>

<p>When you
think of upcoming cold calls in terms of dialogue rather
than monologue, then you aren’t focused solely on what
you might get from the conversation. You’re operating
out of an honest desire to assist, and this always means
having a two-way conversation. </p>

3. <p>Focus
on problem solving rather than product selling</p>

<p>No matter what industry you’re in, there must be
a need for your product or service, or you wouldn’t
survive very long. So whether you’re offering
entertainment, bookkeeping, computer programs or
anything else, you’re fulfilling a particular need. </p>

<p>This new cold calling mindset focuses on
identifying these needs from the perspective of
potential clients. Shift your mindset away from what you
have to offer, and focus instead on what their problem
is. Step into their world. </p>

<p>Most of us
enjoy problem solving. We like to "fix things." So it’s
easy for us to come from a place of wanting to solve a
problem. And that’s where we begin our cold calling
conversations -- from their point of view, their
difficulties, and whether we might be of service. </p>

<p>Human nature being what it is, we, as people,
enjoy other people. And the more we help them, the more
we get feedback that is supportive and positive.</p>

<p>We all want to enjoy our jobs and feel good about
what we’re doing. </p>

<p>One of the major
benefits of this new cold calling mindset is to add
credibility and integrity to what we do as
professionals. When we humanize the process of cold
calling, we step out of the typical one-sided
salesperson persona, and that feels really good.</p>

How to Recognize
and Diffuse Hidden Pressures in Cold Calling

Here are four hidden sales pressures that
we bring to our cold calling: Focusing On the Sale. If
you're like most people who make cold calls, you're
hoping to make a sale -- or at least an appointment --
before you even pick up the phone. When your focus
shifts from making a sale into making a conversation,
there’s no sales pressure. Many people enjoy
conversations.

<p>Here are four hidden sales pressures that we
bring to our cold calling:</p>

<p>1. Focusing On
the Sale</p>

<p>If you're like most people who
make cold calls, you're hoping to make a sale -- or at
least an appointment -- before you even pick up the
phone. The problem is the people you call somehow almost
immediately notice your mindset. They sense that you are
only focused on your goals and interests, rather than on
finding out what they might need or want. This
short-circuits the whole process of communication and
trust building.</p>

<p>So try this. Practice
shifting your mental focus into thinking, "When I make
this call, first I'm going to build a conversation. From
this, a level of trust can emerge which allows us to
exchange information back and forth. And then we can
both determine if there's a fit or not." When your focus
shifts from making a sale into making a conversation,
there’s no sales pressure. Many people enjoy
conversations. Moreover, as long as you’re sincere, this
will be one of them.</p>

<p>You’re also
exchanging information rather than "informing" someone
of your product or service. This helps your potential
client know that he or she matters to you. This means
you’re not being experienced as "pushy."</p>

<p>Keep in mind that letting go of trying to force the
outcome of the conversation into a sales event means
being totally relaxed with the idea that your solution
may not be a fit for them. When you’re exploring right
along with another person whether there’s a "fit," then
that person feels no sales pressure.</p>

<p>2.
Talking About Ourselves First</p>

<p>When we
start our cold calls with a mini-pitch about who we are
and what we have to offer, we’ve introduced sales
pressure right away. The other person knows we want to
make a sale, and they have to respond to that pressure.
Most will respond with defense or rejection.</p>

<p>So instead, start your conversation by focusing on a
need or issue you know the other person is likely
facing. Step into their world and invite them to share
whether they’re open to exploring possible solutions
with you.</p>

<p>3. Forcing the Conversation into
a Pre-Planned Strategy or Script</p>

<p>Here’s a
hard one to avoid if we’re using scripts or carefully
planned cold calling strategies. When we rely on these
methods, it’s usually because we just don’t know how
else to "do" cold calling. However, when we take charge
of a conversation in this way, the other person almost
always feels like they are being maneuvered. That’s
pressure.</p>

<p>If we aren’t allowing someone
else to be fully involved in the conversation, then
we’re using sales pressure to try to control the
outcome. Potential clients feel this sales pressure,
even when it’s subtle. Therefore, once again, "The Wall"
goes up.</p>

<p>I’m not suggesting that we don’t
prepare and plan for our cold calls. There are some
really good ways to begin cold calls that we’ll want to
use over and over. Additionally, there are special
phrases we can use that convey well the fact that we’re
interested in solving a problem for the other
person.</p>

<p>What we want to avoid, however, is
trying to control a cold calling conversation. This
almost always happens with scripts and old-style sales
strategies. Potential clients feel this pressure and
respond negatively.</p>

<p>4. Over-Enthusiasm</p>

<p>The problem with over-enthusiasm in our cold
calling is that the other person has to make a decision
whether to "buy into" our perspective, or reject it.
They feel the hidden sales pressure that wants them to
be carried along with our enthusiasm. This usually means
braking, whether gently or abruptly.</p>

<p>With
over-enthusiasm (which is often just an offshoot of our
tension), potential clients feel somewhat boxed in. They
feel the pressure of our expectations so they feel
compelled to respond either positively or negatively.
Most will almost always respond negatively.</p>

<p>Completely eliminating all sales pressure from your
cold calling conversations will certainly invite the
other person to respond much more warmly and
positively.</p>